Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick suggested removing government spending from GDP reports to avoid potential economic downturn concerns. Economists largely dismissed the idea, calling it a “publicity stunt” and “completely goofy.” Government spending is a key component of GDP, adhering to internationally agreed accounting standards set by the International Monetary Fund. Removing it would disrupt over 80 years of economic measurement consistency. Wendy Edelberg of the Hamilton Project emphasized the interconnectedness of government transactions with private businesses and consumers, making their exclusion nonsensical. Gian Luca Clementi of New York University warned that withholding such data is a tactic used by countries like China or Argentina to manipulate economic perceptions. — news fromMarketplace